Ironer shoe and table



June 28, 1949. w. c. ERLER 2,474,351

- IRONER SHOE AND TABLE Filed Sept. 26, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. /0

INVEN TOR. WALTER 0. ERLER ATTORNEY June 28, 1949. w. c. ERLER IRQNER SHOE AND TABLE Filed Sept. 26, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WALTER C- ERLER W$ ATTORNEY June 28, 1949. w. c. ERLER 7 2,474,351

IRONER SHOE AND TABLE Filed Sept. 26, 1947 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q1 Q5 a MB Q :2 1 1 Q5 l x L N h J INVENTOR.

ATmR/VE Y Patented June 28, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IR'ONER SHOE AND TABLE Application September 26, 1947, Serial No. 776,224

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a shoe and table combination for an ironing machine of the type employing a rotatable padded roll with a metallic shoe adapted to contact the roll to iron articles fed between the shoe and roll from a table adjacent one edge of the shoe.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a type of construction for a shoe and table combination which provides for connections between the shoe and. table for supporting the shoe together with connections for operating thermostatic elements visible above the table and operable to adjust thermostatic units under the shoe.

It is a further object to provide proper insulation for heating elements under the shoe with a suitable shielding member over the insulation and extending under the shoe and table to provide a suitable combination unit capable of ironing and guiding articles.

The above and other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and wherein:

Figure 1 is an end view of the shoe and table partly in section showing the general arrangement of the shoe and the connection between the thermostatic control and the adjustment thereof required underneath the table.

Figure 2 is a top view of the table and shoe combination showing the general arrangement.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the shoe and table with portions of the insulating unit and the second cover removed to show the interior arrangement and also the means for adjusting the position of the table relative to the shoe.

Figure 4 is a view of the shoe and table partially diagrammatic showing the arrangement of the heatin coils and the wiring diagram therefor.

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-4; of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a section taken on the line 'l'! of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is an end view of an ironing machine of the type employing a shoe and table combination showing the relationship of these parts to the other parts of the ironing machine including the roll.

Figure 9 is a front View of the ironing machine showing the same relationships as in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view taken on the line IA of Figure 1.

Figure 11 is a view taken on the line IB of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a metallic shoe ll] has an upper curved heating surface H and under the heating surface a grooved surface l2 carrying electrical resistant heating elements 13 and M. The heating elements 13 and M are on separate circuits making a complete and separate loop for each half of the ironing shoe Ill. The loop it as shown in Figure 4 makes a complete loop around one-half of the shoe and the heating element M makes another separate loop around the other half of the shoe. Connected in series with each loop are thermostatic elements l5 and it. These thermostatic elements are in efiect thermostatic switches which may be manually adjusted and set to break contact in the electrical circuit at a certain pie-determined temperature. The temperature at which such contact will be broken may be varied by rotation of a shaft ll of the thermostat i 5 as shown in Figure 3, while rotation of the shaft [8 connected to the thermostat Hi varies the temperature at which current will be shut off in the circuit controlled by that thermostat. Considering the thermostat l5 and its connecting shaft H as shown in Figure 1, the shaft H is connected for rotation by an adjusting knob 25!. A similar adjusting knob 2i is provided for operating thermostat it through shaft l8. Each of the adjusting knobs is provided with a projecting shaft 22, the shaft 22 for the knob 20 being shown in Figure 1. This projecting shaft 722 is of sufficient length that the knob 20 will be supported for rotation on the shaft 22 in a suitable bearing block 23.

As is evident on inspection of Figure 1, the controls for operating the thermostats l5 and I6 made up of the knobs 2t and 2! and the connecting shafts I1 and H] extend under a work table 25. The work table 25 is connected with the shoe H] by means of brackets 25, 2'! and 28. The bracket 26 is preferably welded to the brackets 2'! and 28 and the aforesaid brackets 21 and 28 extend between the table and shoe Ill. The purpose of the brackets 25, 21 and 28 is to secure the table 25 and shoe to together with the edge of the table 25 adjacent one edge of the shoe I0. For the purpose of retaining as much of the heat generated by the heatin elements 13 and It as possible for transfer to the shoe I0, an insulating member 2% is provided which, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, extends under the shoe ID and over the two loops l3 and M of the heating element. The insulating member 29 is secured by contact with four projecting bosses, two of which 3| and 32 are shown in Figure 3. These bosses are so located as to be in line with the connecting members 2'! and 28 so that such connecting members 21 and 28 lying on the outside of the insulating member 29 may serve as connecting portions through which suitable screws may be placed to secure the members 21 and 28 to the shoe while holding the insulating member 29 between the ends of the members 2'! and 28 which extend under the table 25 also extending over the ends of the bracket 26 and are secured to the table by means of screw fastenings as shown. It is apparent that adjustment is provided in the connection of the brackets 21 and 28 to the table 25. The bracket 26 extends between the ends of the brackets 2'! and 28 and near the center of this bracket 26 suitable connections 33 and 34 are provided spaced apart to receive a support member 35 which, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, is positioned under the table 25. Another support member 36, shown in Figure 8, is adapted to contact and be connected with a supporting boss 3'1 under the shoe H). Details of these supports and the actuation thereof is disclosed in co-pending patent application Serial Number 587,315 filed April 9, 1945, in the name of Arthur R. Constantine.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 3, it is seen that the table 25 may be assembled with the adjusting knobs 20 and 2| first put in position, the length of the shaft 22 on the knob be ing sufficient to support the knob entirely independent of any support from connecting shaft H. The interior of the knob 24 which is similar to the knob 2 is provided with a spring 38 which is located on the axis of rotation of the knob 28 and the end of the shaft H is shaped as to fit into a slot 39 in the knob '25 adjacent the spring 38 and the opposite end of the shaft fits into a slot 45 in a shaft 4| f the thermostat l5. Just above the knob in the table a display window 43 is provided so that the face of the knob 20 can be viewed through the table. Also adjacent the knob 20 is an electrical lamp bulb 44 provided for illumination of the knob 25 to provide better visibility through the window 43. A similar window 45 is also provided to give a view of the knob 2|, and likewise illumination is provided by a second electric light bulb 46. The light bulbs 44 and 46 are in series with the heating elements l3 and I4 respectively as shown in Figure 4, so that when the circuit is broken to turn off the heat by the thermostatic switches, the lights 44 and 45 then are out. Therefore the illumination of the knobs 20 and 2| through the windows 43 and 45 indicates that the heat is on in the circuits l3 and I4. Suitable inscriptions may be placed on the knobs 20 and 2|, which inscriptions may be seen by inspection through the transparent windows in the openings 43 and 44.

It is evident on inspection of Figure 1 that the knobs 20 and 2| are definitely positioned relative to the table 25 and the openings 43 and 44 above them by the fact that a shoulder 41 on the knob 25 contacts the end of the bearing 23. When it is desired to connect the table 25 to the shoe Ill, the heating elements I3 and M of the shoe I0 together with the insulating member '29 are first assembled separately and the part underneath the table 25 including the knobs 20 and 2| are placed in position so that the connecting brackets 26, 21 and 28 can then be secured to the shoe l0. In order to connect the shoe l0 and table 25 these brackets can then be secured to the table 25 which results in positioning the table 25 adjacent the edge of the shoe In as shown in Figure 3. The fact that the connecting elements for connecting the brackets 21 and 28 to the table 25 are capable of adjustment to push the table 25 toward and away from the end of the shoe it makes it possible to position the end of the table 25 adjacent the shoe I!) with suitable space between the shoe H1 and table 25 as shown in Figure 1 regardless of slight variations in different pieces due to manufacturing tolerances. However, even though there may be a variation in the position of the table 25 relative to the shoe H], the position of the knobs 2D and 2| relative to the openings 43 is definitely determined by the table In and connecting shaft 11 which may then be inserted and put in place by pushing the end of the connecting shaft |l into the slot 39 to push the spring 38 to nearly its maximum compression. The opposite end of the connecting shaft I! may then be inserted in the slot 45 to complete the connection between the knob 20 and the thermostat l5 through its shaft 4|. Because of the fact that the spring 38 is capable of immediate expansion connecting shaft I! will be held in position with sufficient variation in length being allowed to make up for any variations in the distance between the connecting knob and the thermostat I5. If the connecting knobs 2D and 2| were not made to be definitely positioned under the table 25 regardless of variation there would be a relative positioning of the knobs 2| and 22 under the openings 43 and 45 by the adjustment of the table relative to the shoe so that the knobs 2| and 22 might not always be clearly visible through openings 43 and 45, while with the construction shown such change does not effect the position of the knobs 2| and 22 relative to the openings 43 and 45. After the assembly has been completed between the table 25 and the shoe H), a connecting and shielding member 50 which covers all of the elements under the shoe ID and table 25 to make a smooth under surface for the shoe and table unit is provided and is held in position by suitable group connections extending around the edges of the shoe and table. However, as shown in Figures 1, 7 and 8 the shielding member 50 is, of course, provided with openings 5| and 52 adjacent the knobs 2i] and 2| in order that the knobs 20 and 2| may be manually rotated by the operator. By rotating the knobs 20 and 2| through openings 5| and 52 beneath the table 25 and by observing the setting inscribed on the knobs 2D and 2| through the windows 43 and 44 on the top of the table 25, the operator may set the thermostats 5 and I6 for any desired temperature.

It is apparent that the construction shown makes a single unit of the shoe l0 and table 25 satisfactorily connected together. It is also evident that the brackets 26, 21 and 28 provide a structural connection between the support 35 of the table and the shoe l0 and in effect provide two supports for the shoe l0 spaced on opposite sides of the central support 31, which support 3'! as previously mentioned, connects with the vertical support 36.

Although the construction shown has been described in specific detail it is intended that various modifications may be made within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In an ironing machine shoe and table combination, a shoe, a table adjacent said shoe, connections between said shoe and said table per- 5 mitting adjustable movement of said table relative to said shoe, a heating element under said shoe, a thermostatic element adjacent said heating element for controlling said heating element, a rotatable control member for said thermostatic element located under said table for rotation and in a definite position relative to said table, a shaft connecting said thermostatic element with said rotatable control member, a slot in said rotatable control member to receive said shaft, and a resilient member urging said shaft toward said thermostatic element whereby small variations in distance between said control member and said thermostatic element caused by adjustment of relative position of said shoe and table are 15 compensated without changing the position of said rotatable control member relative to said table.

WALTER C. ERLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

